The Houston Rockets took on the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. However, their two-game winning streak could be on the line, as they’re without their veteran player, Kevin Durant. The update came from head coach Ime Udoka only 90 minutes before the game.

According to Udoka, Durant “tweaked” his ankle during a recent game. There is currently no return timetable. Reed Sheppard is expected to take his place.

However, they’re facing the Pacers, a team with just 13 wins this season, and might not feel Durant’s absence. The injury update comes shortly after he was named as an NBA All-Star reserve, his 16th selection.

According to the Rockets’ sideline reporter, Vanessa Richardson of ESPN, Durant stepped on a fan’s foot on Saturday. He played through the minor ankle tweak, but found it swelling up after the game. The Rockets are expecting it to be just a one-game absence, but it’s currently a wait-and-see situation.

Durant has played 45 of the Rockets’ 47 games this season. However, this is the first time he has missed a game with an injury. Previously, the veteran missed two games in November due to personal reasons. The Rockets won both those games against the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns. While the team is ranked 4th in the Western Conference, Durant leads the team in scoring, averaging 26.2 points per game.

The two-time NBA champion should return to the lineup by Wednesday. Before the All-Star break, the Rockets play the Boston Celtics, the red-hot Charlotte Hornets, the defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Los Angeles Clippers in a back-to-back set. And given Durant’s impact on the Rockets, they will need him during this stretch.

At 37, Kevin Durant is still one of the best, and the Rockets need to capitalize on their veteran superstar

Let’s not sugarcoat it. It’s a fact that Durant is not the player he was five years ago. But it is also true that he continues to defy his age, remaining one of the league’s most efficient and polished scorers. He is better than most on the offensive end, ranking just outside the top 10 in scoring in the league.

The Rockets play a balanced offense, and there’s a lot of offensive responsibility on Durant. When he moved to Houston during the offseason, he took a significant salary cut to give the Rockets the leverage to put together a championship team. He signed a two-year, $90 million deal, which was $30 million less than the maximum extension he was eligible for.

The message was simple. Winning the title was his priority.

And with half the season gone, the Rockets have shown they are a championship-caliber team. The real question, however, is whether the Rockets can translate this regular-season dominance into a deep playoff run, a feat that requires more than just strong stats.

So far, the Rockets are among the top five teams offensively and defensively in the league. They have the fourth-best net rating in the league and the second-best in the Western Conference. However, Udoka will have a bigger worry come playoff time.

Unlike other top teams in the league, such as the Thunder, the Denver Nuggets, and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Rockets lack one thing. Relying solely on Durant won’t be enough, and the lack of postseason experience among his young stars could prove costly.

Alperen Sengun (averaging near career-highs), Amen Thompson (career-high scoring), and Sheppard (doubled his rookie-year numbers) have shouldered the load in supporting roles until now. However, with Fred VanVleet and now Steven Adams out for the season, they have another big issue to solve.

The West is overloaded with good teams who are bound to make it work come playoff time, and Durant knows that he is in a win-or-bust situation.